The Importance Of Health Education For The LGBT Community

Health disparities in the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender community that lack fair treatment. This population deals with many adversities due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. LGBT’s community consists of a diverse population of people who come from all walks of life ((Howard, 2016). Many LBGT’s will delay or not seek health care due to stigma and lack of fair treatment. In other words, they believe that they are discriminated against.

The mental health of individuals in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community is something that is a serious problem. For most of the history of the United States and many different parts of the world LGBT people faced much persecution and in some cases even death. This constant fear of discovery and the pressure that one feels on oneself when “in the closet” can lead to major mental distress. Research has shown that people who identify as LGBT are twice as likely to develop lifetime mood and anxiety disorders (Bostwick 468). This is extremely noticeable the past couple years in the suicides of bullied teens on the basis of sexual identity and expression. The stigma on simply being perceived as LGBT is strong enough to

Regarding access to healthcare, transgender individuals often face the most obstructive barriers when attempting to receive care. Whether they are seeking access to hormones, therapy, general health services, reproductive healthcare, or specialty healthcare, transgender patients typically cannot get what they need without jumping through many hoops or hiding their identities. This occurs especially so in cases of intersecting identities -- where an individual is not just transgender, but is transgender and a person of color, disabled, gay, indigenous, undocumented, poor, etc. These intersecting identities interact in multifaceted ways to produce even more barriers for trans individuals seeking healthcare due to healthcare provider bias, insurance requirements, and doctors’ general unwillingness to help coupled with inaccessibility founded on racism, transphobia, homophobia, mental illness stigmatization, etc.

Relocating into a senior care facilities can be a frightening experience for the aging population. Getting familiar with new surroundings, new organization structure, and new people that can cause anxiety to rise. For a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer individual, this experience can be traumatic. The fear of harassment, hostility, and neglect by healthcare providers and caretakers can keep LGBTQ people from seeking care until their health begins to critically decline. LGBTQ cultural competency training is highly recommended for healthcare professionals and social service organizations. The greatest barrier that prevents quality health care for LGBTQ people is the lack of competence among the healthcare professionals.

The transgender population often have complicated medical needs and encounter numerous health disparities including discrimination, lack of access to quality health care and social stigma. Some health disparities include various chronic diseases, cancers, as well as mental health issues (Vanderbilt University, 2017). Transgender individuals are at increased risk of HIV infection with their rates being reported “over four times the national average of HIV infection, with higher rates among transgender people of color (Grant, Mottet, Tanis, 2011).” In addition, they usually do not have health insurance (Makadon, 2017) and have a lower probability of preventative cancer screenings in transgender men (AMSA, 2017).

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) falls within societal minority groups such as low income, people of color, and disables (AHRQ, 2011). Due to their gender identity, discrimination, violence, and even denial of human rights and healthcare services is a common challenge among LGBT population. LGBT still faces many health disparities primarily related to the historic bias of healthcare professionals anti-LGBT manners even though society acceptance has been favorable. According to Ard and Makadon (n.d), “until 1973, homosexuality was listed as a disorder…, and transgender still is.” This stigma prevents healthcare professionals to openly ask questions in a non-judgmental manner related to sexual identity. On the other hand, if the patient senses that the healthcare environment is discriminating they may be reluctant to disclose important information as their sexual orientation; thus, missing important opportunities of been educated about safety and health care risks.

This decision has affected people’s behavior as individuals and public institutions such as family, young, elderly, disabled, LGTB and those with pre-existing conditions. For example, Kates & Ranji (2014) report that health care access and coverage for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGTB) community in the U.S. face opportunities and challenges when getting access to care. The authors report that LGBT individuals experience some discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, due to ongoing discrimination, access to health care have been limited to these people (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2014). LGBT individuals not only face discrimination when trying to receive care, but also face difficulties that limit them such as “barriers in obtaining insurance coverage, gaps in coverage, cost-related hurdles, and poor treatment by health care providers” (Kates & Ranji, 2014).

Throughout history, it is evident that inequalities and disparities are part of health systems and society. Even after all the success of activism, such as the work from the human rights movement and campaign, inequalities and disparities are still evident today. Especially within minority groups, such as LGBTQ* (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) individuals – this is not to say that LGBTQ are the only categories when it comes to sexual orientation and gender identities, thus it is followed by a * – and racial groups. Furthermore, it is evident that within minority groups there are specific micro-level groups that experience unique and sometimes even greater amount of inequalities and disparities. For example, the micro-level group of transgender individuals from the LGBTQ* community is one of the many minority groups that experience both medical and social disparities and inequalities.This paper will discuss both the medical and social inequalities and disparities that Transgender Individuals face, including structural violence and intentional violence.

Of the study’s 25 participants, 20 were female-to-male. The authors determined the main problem for the participants was the struggle to find transgender-sensitive health care. The subjects described discrimination by healthcare systems, lack of knowledge and hostility by providers, and lack of health insurance to cover transgender-specific healthcare needs. Some of the FtM participants who had problems with pelvic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, and a history of abnormal Pap tests kept their gender as female on their insurance so they could still get the care they needed. Using a national cross-sectional survey data set, Shires and Jaffee (2015) reported similar findings. Of the 1,711 FtM participants included in this study, 41.8 percent reported verbal harassment, physical assault, or denial of equal treatment in a doctor’s office or

Travers et al. (2010) conducted a qualitative study of service providers in Canada and found that even in a country that has been proactive with regard to LGBT rights there still remains significant barriers to service provision for LGBT homeless youth. Providers cited concerns about resources being clustered in one area that is not accessible to the majority of LGBTQ youth, as well as the types of services being provided focusing specifically on HIV prevention and decreasing the focus on other important issues. The providers indicated this singular focus often discourages LGBTQ youth from utilizing services. Additionally, concerns were raised about the lack of evidence based information on transgender youth, as well as a lack of training on LGBTQ youth issues. Providers denounced the use of specialists in LGBTQ issues, but instead insisted that all providers should be trained to provide services to LGBTQ youth. A common theme in the focus groups was recognizing a mutual responsibility. The providers expressed frustration that there appears to be a general denial within the community that LGBT youth present, and this seems to be significant when considering service provision that comes from religious organizations. The study indicates that across the board, agency attitudes have not caught up to social attitudes or rights. Additionally, they highlighted that the current focus of mitigating risks does not account for promoting appropriate well rounded services in light of systematic issues. According to a study by Durso and Gates (2012), the most significant barrier to service provision is funding, followed by population identification, lack of training, and lack of support. A qualitative study of professionals serving homeless youth; including youth that identify as LGBTQ voiced several concerning issues in serving LGBTQ youth. Discrimination

While things like marriage and anti-discrimination laws have made it safer and more accepting in the mainstream for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, the transgender community remains largely unchanged by these things. One area in particular has remained almost completely stagnant since the 1980s, medicine. Most medical professionals willing to aid transgender individuals in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS) operate under the gatekeeper model. The gatekeeper model is loosely defined as the practice where any combination of doctors, therapists, and psychiatrists take the majority of responsibility for the diagnosing and, “treatment,” of a transgender person seeking either HRT or SRS. Under this model nearly sole responsibility falls to that group of professionals, and because of that many problems in terms of proper diagnosis, ethics, and safety have sprung up. More recently a very small amount doctors have been operating under a new model. This model, called informed consent, allows the transgender individual to take some responsibility for their treatment, and in a lot of cases subvert the massive amount of unreasonable hoops and rules the gatekeeper model has. The informed consent model of treatment for transgender individuals is the superior model by far in terms of diagnosis, safety, and ethical treatment.

Many social workers have had minimal training and preparation in servicing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning (LGBTQ) clients. It is not uncommon or unlikely that even the most seasoned practitioner will display some form of negative bias or utilize misinformation with assisting these clients. Because the Universe and the norms are steadily changing and evolving we as social workers must do the same to better assist our clients especially our oppressed populations. This research paper will provide an in depth look at the LGBTQ community, in particular the adolescent victimization of LGBTQ students in a school setting. Research suggests that youth who identify as LGBTQ are at greater risk of suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts,

For many individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, finding healthcare professionals who understand their identities and are receptive to their needs can be difficult. Many in the community feel that they have difficulties finding a practice that will respect their identity and provide them with effective and reliable care. For those specifically in the transgender community, these difficulties can increase exponentially, as many doctors are not properly trained to address the specific health needs that transgender individuals can often require. By his senior year, recent Keene State College graduate Kennedy Redden had noticed that both the staff of his school’s health center and the nearby Planned Parenthood had a distinct lack of knowledge about the needs of transgender students. Because of this, Kennedy decided to write a Transgender Health Manual for the school to use in the general education of its healthcare professionals as his senior capstone piece in Community Health.

While waiting to be seen by your doctor have you ever experienced firsthand how Gay/Lesbian individuals are treated upon entering any healthcare facility? I have experienced myself with a family member and it was heart-breaking. Among having these individuals sometimes think twice about going to any healthcare facility they also worry about insurance coverage. Truthfully, everyone stresses about healthcare coverage. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the beginning and reduced rates of the uninsured and made the health system available for these individuals.

Sexual and social stigmas largely affect the health of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population. While many reports from the Institute of Medicine, Healthy People 2020 and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recognize a need to improve the quality of health care, barriers still remain. LGBT patients face legal discrimination, especially with insurance, a lack of social programs, and limited access to providers competent in LGBT health care. Although the Affordable Care Act increased access to care for LGBT patients, unless these patients feel understood by providers and develop trust in the system, they are not likely to utilize care. Healthcare providers need to recognize how these vulnerabilities, as well as persistent racism and stigma linked to sexual orientation and gender identity, make the healthcare needs of LGBT patients more challenging than the general population. Healthcare providers also need to promote cultural competence within this population and broaden their clinical lens to include health promotion, in addition to addressing concerns mentioned above within the population. Additionally, medical and nursing schools need to ensure that future providers are adequately educated by including information about this population in the curriculum.